


The Wild Hunt

by MonPetitTresor



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Angst, Arguing, BAMF Alec Lightwood, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Magic, Mythology References, Post Break-up, Problems aren't just dismissed, Protective Alec Lightwood, Protective Magnus Bane, Sacrifice, Sort Of, Temporary Character Death, The Sluagh, Transformation, Wild Hunt, all the myths are true, but they can be worked through, dark/drow elves, he will do anything, it doesn't even really last for a second so it doesn't count, nightmare creatures, to protect his people
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-05
Updated: 2019-12-05
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:47:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,904
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21678484
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MonPetitTresor/pseuds/MonPetitTresor
Summary: When the Seelie Queen shows up at the Institute with Magnus at her side, Alec knew that this wasn't going to be a good visit. Things between him and Magnus were still - tense. There was anger and grief between them that prevented any chance for them to talk. To see him standing there at the Seelie Queen's side hurt, but Alec was used to that. He could deal with that, and with whatever it was that had brought the Queen to his Institute.At least, that was what Alec thought. He had no idea what exactly she was bringing to his door. But even if he had, he wouldn't change a thing. He'd do anything to protect his people, and the ones he loved.Anything.
Relationships: Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood
Comments: 57
Kudos: 656





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So after a few talks a while ago with my friend Aria, and then a ton of help from my Discord Darlings these past three days, here's this random thing! It's done, only four chapters, and I'll post as I edit them! Enjoy - and let me know what you think!!!

Alec had thought he’d known pain. He had thought he’d understood what it was. Yet none of the things he’d gone through had prepared him for what it felt like to have Magnus walk away from him. To know that the warlock wasn’t going to be there to text him throughout the day. He wasn’t going to pop in for lunch or to remind Alec to eat. He wasn’t going to be there waiting for him at the end of the night with open arms and all the love in the world, a perfect antidote to the day’s horrors.

What made it worse was that it was no one’s fault but his own. Alec knew that. He knew he’d messed up. He knew he’d hurt Magnus. He’d betrayed the trust of someone who had already had their trust and their heart broken far too many times in the past.

Alec wanted to fix it. More than anything, he wanted to come up with some sort of magical solution that would make everything better. Something that would fix the heartache between him and Magnus. But the sad truth was, he just didn’t have the _time_.

The Soul Sword was missing. The Downworld was in turmoil. Rumors were spreading about the Seelie Queen and her vow to protect those who came to her. Valentine was at large and armed with things that would allow him to destroy so many. Alec didn’t have the luxury of time. He couldn’t put aside his duty to pursue his heart.

When all this was said and done, when the war was won, maybe then. Maybe then he’d be able to go to Magnus and find some way to make this right.

That was the hope that Alec held on to. It was the thing in his heart that kept him moving, talking, _breathing_ , instead of curled up in his room too broken to function, or chasing down Magnus to beg at his feet.

Of course, fate never works the way we want it, and the choice was taken out of Alec’s hands.

* * *

He was with his siblings when Underhill reached him with word that the Seelie Queen had arrived, along with the others, for the emergency cabinet meeting. They were early by almost an hour, which meant that Alec wasn’t there to greet them the way he liked to be. He also hadn’t been expecting the Seelie Queen to come. She _never_ came. Sometimes she sent Meliorn, sometimes she sent no one. But she never came herself.

Alec, Isabelle, and Jace all exchanged a look. “This can’t be good,” Isabelle murmured.

“What the hell is she doing here?” Jace demanded.

Alec gave him a look that clearly said he didn’t know. He hadn’t had any messages from her. But there was a sinking feeling in his stomach that told him he wasn’t going to like this. He knew she’d made an offer to Magnus to protect the Downworlders. Did this mean they’d taken her up on it?

His thoughts were broken off by Clary’s sharp voice, so much angrier underneath than he’d ever heard from her. “There’s only one way to find out.” That said, she spun and marched off in the direction of the meeting rooms, leaving the others to hurry to catch up with her.

Their world had changed her, and while once Alec might’ve prayed for her to be more like them just so she’d stop causing him problems, he sometimes wondered now if the cost was worth it. Clary had become more and more like a Shadowhunter with each passing week. Yet, it seemed that lately, she was starting to lose that spark to her. The one that had drawn Jace her way in the first place. It was like she was torn between two worlds. Until they did something about Valentine, until they stopped her father and his mission, Alec had a feeling she was going to keep changing, and he was worried about what she might end up becoming.

Those were thoughts he pushed to the side. Right now there wasn’t time for it. Clary, with Isabelle beside her, was leading the way into the meeting room, and Alec’s stomach clenched when he saw Raphael and Luke seated at the table with the Seelie Queen – and Magnus standing at her shoulder.

The sight of him was enough of a blow. Seeing the hard mask on his face, the way he wouldn’t meet Alec’s eyes, those _hurt_. But not as much as it did to see him standing at the Queen’s side like he wasn’t even part of this meeting. Like he was nothing more than another one of her guards.

The Queen, in one of her younger forms, smiled up at them. “Where oh where is Simon?”

“Your Highness. What an unpleasant surprise,” Clary said, her voice making it clear just how unpleasant she found this.

It took everything Alec had not to wince. No matter how little he liked the idea of the Queen being here, or how much his heart was aching at the moment, he’d been raised to be a diplomat. Greeting one of the most powerful people in the Downworld with that kind of attitude wasn’t going to get them anywhere. Especially not with _her_. All of Alec’s training pushed him to take a step forward, a hand out Clary’s way in the hopes of silencing her. “Your Highness, I’m sure she didn’t mean to…”

“No offense, Alec,” Jace cut in, his voice just as hard and just as unhappy as Clary’s was. “But I agree with Clary. _Your Majesty_. This another one of your little games?”

If their rudeness bothered her, the Queen didn’t show it. She just spread her hands out in a peaceful gesture. “The Institute called an emergency meeting of the Downworld council. I speak on behalf of the Downworld.”

So, more than just protection. Alec’s heart _ached_. He made himself look, made his body hard as his eyes drifted to Magnus. The most important person in the whole room. “Magnus, is this true?”

The way that Magnus rolled his eyes and looked away was all the answer Alec needed. It was also like a knife right to his chest. He knew Magnus was mad; knew that he needed to fix it. Yet his earlier thoughts still stood. There was no _time_. Not when so much else was on his plate. It was like Magnus had said – they needed to be leaders. This? This was Magnus leading. Doing what was best for his people. Alec needed to do the same.

A smirk curved the Queen’s lips. She looked pleased as she watched Alec, like she could see the pain of his thoughts and was enjoying it. But her tone was perfectly formal when she spoke. “Henceforth, when you need anything from the Downworld, you shall address me, Mr. Lightwood. Such is the nature of our new agreement.”

Alec dipped his head in acknowledgment. Stepping forward, he moved in front of his siblings, wrapping the mantle of leadership around him and forcing himself to stand tall under it. “Your Highness, Valentine believes that the Institute has the Mortal Mirror, and he’s not going to leave the city without it. I would like the Downworld’s help in locating him.”

“in order to capture him, so that he might escape once again,” the Queen said, waving a hand.

There was no way Alec could deny what had happened in the past. It didn’t matter that there were extenuating circumstances. The truth was, they’d had Valentine, and they’d lost him. She wasn’t wrong to doubt them. All Alec could do was spread his hands out in a gesture of peace. “Your Highness, I would fix this if I could.”

The words weren’t said to just her. They were as much for the silent warlock at her side. Judging by the way Magnus’ eyes darted away, he knew that. Just as they both knew it wasn’t enough.

In opposition to Magnus’ quiet pain, the Queen was watching Alec with a suddenly sharp look. One that had never boded well in the past. Seeing it now had Alec going tense. He didn’t have to wait long to find out what she was thinking about. With those sharp, dangerous eyes right on him, the Queen smiled, and a chill ran down Alec’s spine. “There may be a way, Mr. Lightwood.”

Every eye in the room was suddenly on the Queen. Even Magnus looked back at her, sharp and quick. The pain was gone from his eyes. In its place was something much more dangerous.

The rest of the room ceased to exist at that moment. Alec stared at her, and he knew, he _knew_ , this was why she’d come. This was what she wanted. Every push, every word, every little thing, had led them to this. Whatever she was bringing him was something she wanted to happen. And yet… if it were anyone else, Alec would’ve said that she looked almost… _afraid_.

“What way is this?” Clary demanded.

Jace stepped up beside her, and his own voice was just as angry. “And why haven’t we heard of it yet?”

All it took to silence them was a raised hand from Alec. He kept his eyes on the Queen. Her gaze never once strayed from him. This wasn’t for them. Whatever she had, it was for _him_ and him alone. Seeing that, Alec gave a small nod. So be it.

He straightened himself up, hands instinctively coming together to clasp behind his back. “What would you have me do, Your Highness?”

The Queen tilted her head, and though her face was still childlike, her eyes were old. “Have you ever heard of the Wild Hunt?”

There was an almost immediate reaction in the room around them. Neither Jace nor Clary seemed to understand, but Isabelle gave a soft gasp, and both Luke and Raphael were suddenly watching the Queen with looks that were both wary and afraid. None reacted as strongly as Magnus, though. He reeled like he’d been struck, and his mouth actually dropped open.

 _The Wild Hunt_.

Alec had read stories on it. Legends. He’d studied so many of the legends when he was growing up. After all, their tagline was that _all the legends are true_. Even if they hadn’t encountered it, that didn’t mean that it wasn’t out there, and Alec wanted to be prepared.

He’d always been slightly fascinated by the idea of the Wild Hunt. A group of beings powered by magic rumored to be so old no one knew how it came to be, just that it _was_ , sent out to hunt down sinners, wrongdoers, oath-breakers. To be the prey of the Hunt was to face death. No one survived being the prey. _No one._ There were countless versions of who they were, who they hunted, what they did, how they came to be, but all stories agreed on that fact – no one survived.

“Alec,” Isabelle tried, only to get cut off by a shake of his head.

Forcing himself not to look at the others, Alec focused back on the Queen. “I’ve read of it.”

“The stories never get everything right, as you well know.,” the Queen continued on, mindless of the turmoil she’d caused with those simple words. She spoke as if they were discussing tea with their lunch, not the potential for the Shadow world’s salvation, and Valentine’s doom. “The Wild Hunt is no different. Each culture has a different tale for it.”

“But you know the truth,” Alec said.

She dipped her head in acknowledgment. “I know many things, Mr. Lightwood.”

“The Wild Hunt isn’t Seelie magic.”

A small twist of a smile appeared around the Seelie Queen’s lips. “A Shadowhunter that knows his tales. How unique. Even still, not quite right. The Wild Hunt is neither Seelie nor Unseelie. It is magic in its rawest form. It is life and death. Magic that is a part of all realms and none. Few know the truth of how it truly started. But that is not important to you this day.”

Alec caught movement beside the Queen. Despite his best efforts, his eyes flickered over to watch Magnus, who was staring at her intently. The look on his face was pleading to those that knew how to read it. To the rest, it was calm, controlled. “Your Majesty…”

“Silence,” the Queen said flatly. She didn’t even bother turning to look at Magnus. “This is between the Shadowhunter and I.” With nothing more than that, she dismissed him and all the others from the conversation, though Alec wasn’t sure if it was her sheer presence that did it or some sort of magic that kept everyone quiet. He was leaning toward magic. Few things could keep Jace or Clary quiet this long. “Do you wish to hear how this wild magic might aid you, Alexander Lightwood?”

There was no doubt in Alec’s mind that whatever came next was going to be dangerous. The Seelie Queen never gave away anything for free. This was going to have some sort of price. One that, based off of what little of the legends Alec remembered, was undoubtedly going to be high. Yet standing there, the weight of responsibility so heavy on his shoulders, was there really any other answer that Alec could give?

He didn’t let himself look at Magnus again. Even with their fight, even though they weren’t together, his heart knew that the love between them wasn’t gone. There was no way that Magnus was going to be okay with anything that put Alec at risk. The other man loved him – Alec knew that as surely as he knew his own name. It wasn’t something he’d doubted even once after Magnus broke up with him.

If Alec had to look at him now and see that love and fear in his face, he wouldn’t have the strength to do what he had to do. What _needed_ to be done.

This was about more than them. This was about the fate of the Shadow World. The lives of countless Downworlders. The safety of his own people.

Alec clasped his hands behind his back and angled his chin upward. It was a pose he’d taken many times in the past when faced with something unpleasant. It didn’t matter that this was going to hurt him; Alec had learned a long time ago to face all kinds of pain with pride and dignity intact.

Staring at the Seelie Queen, he said two words he knew would seal his fate. “Tell me.”


	2. Chapter 2

This wasn’t how things were supposed to go. This wasn’t how the night was supposed to end!

Magnus stood frozen at the side of the Queen and fought with everything he had to break free of the magic that held him tight. He’d been unable to move since the moment he’d broken and turned to question the Seelie Queen. She’d locked him down, as well as everyone else except Alexander, with small vines that had crept up from the stone floor of the Institute. Vines that shouldn’t have been able to grow here, yet did, twisting around their ankles and freezing them, keeping them from protesting. Or interfering.

Horror was a hot molten ball in Magnus’ stomach. No matter how angry he was with Alec, or how hurt, he couldn’t just stand idly by while the man he loved pledged himself to a cause that would undoubtedly kill him.

Yet it was all he could do. Magnus was frozen, only able to watch as Alec stood tall and resolute in front of the Queen. For a brief moment, he looked every inch as royal as she was. Shoulders squared, spine straight, chin up, Alec didn’t flinch. He was the Head of the New York Institute, and Magnus knew without a doubt that he’d do whatever it took to protect his people – all his people, Downworlder and Shadowhunter alike.

The small smile the Seelie Queen wore was pleased. She straightened as well, the pose of a queen that was so at odds with the youth she currently wore. Somehow it made it all the harder to listen to her next words when they were delivered from the mouth of a child.

“The Wild Hunt has served many purposes in the past. To hear the baying of the hounds has been said to be a portent of death,” the Queen said. She inclined her head toward Alec. “Very few know that the hunt can be called with a proper ritual and the right intent. For one night, the Hunt is that person’s to command, and the life of the one they hunt is considered forfeit. No target has survived a Hunt.”

“What’s the catch?” Alec asked. He was too smart to not know that there’d be one.

 _It’s too much_ , Magnus wanted to tell him. _The price is too high, Alexander. It’s not worth this. It’s not worth losing you._

Yet even if he could say those words, Magnus knew they’d make no difference. Alec had never once considered his life more important than anyone’s, save his enemies.

The Queen’s smile was as sharp as the edge of Alec’s seraph blade and twice as deadly. She didn’t mince words in her answer, surprisingly. She was blunt as she said: “Only rarely has the summoner survived as well. The magic of the Hunt either consumes them or traps them for eternity as just another hunter.”

Alec didn’t look surprised. He nodded as if her words had confirmed something for him. “How many have walked away afterward?”

“Seven.”

That number was nothing compared to the amount of those that had called the Hunt. Despite the Queen’s bluntness, there were no words to describe the fate of those that called the magic of the Wild Hunt. There were multiple theories on how those seven had survived. Some said their cause was just, their vengeance clean. Others called it luck.

The idea of Alec being lost to that magic, forever trapped within the Hunt seeking vengeance against those who committed wrongs, had Magnus pressing his magic against the Queen’s once more in a desperate bid to get free. If he could get free, he could go to Alec, and it didn’t matter what kind of fight they were in. Magnus would get on his knees if he had to just to plead for Alec not to do this.

Magnus was jerked from his thoughts by the Seelie Queen speaking once more. Her voice changed, becoming just a bit louder. The commanding sound of a woman who was used to speaking to a room and keeping all eyes on her.

“Know this, Alexander Lightwood. To call the Hunt, they say that one must be true of heart. That petty vengeance will trap your soul. Those that walked away were said to have called for a cause the magic deemed just. But they did not walk away unchanged.” The Queen leaned back against the seat, making it look as if she were lounging on her throne. Her smile was still in place. “The magic of the Hunt is ancient. Some say that the Sluagh created the Hunt. Some say they were born from it. Others say it’s responsible for the creation of those we call Unseelie. The dark to our light. Beings who called the Hunt and survived, forced to pay the price of being one of the Shining ones, the Sidhe, only twisted by its magic into something darker. Deadlier.”

A visible shiver ran down Alec’s spine. He straightened up immediately afterward, though, and Magnus could’ve wept at the stubbornness that appeared on Alec’s face. _Don’t do this,_ Magnus pleaded in his mind. _Please, magic, don’t do this._

In an eerie echo of Magnus’ thoughts, the Queen spoke again, softer this time. “Will you do this, Alexander Lightwood?” The Seelie Queen rose to her full height, the power around her seeming to grow. It was raw Seelie magic. The kind that so few could harness properly, but none better than their Queen. “You spoke of fixing your mistakes. Repairing the damage caused by your people and furthered by your lies. Were those empty words? Or will you risk your life to save those you swore to protect? Think carefully, for if you lie again, you could just as easily become the prey.”

The whole world seemed to be holding its breath. Pressure built until Magnus swore he felt it pressing in against his ears, like flying too high into the sky.

Alec looked away from the Queen for the first time since they’d been frozen. He caught Magnus’ eyes, and in that look was love. Apology. Sorrow. Resolve. Magnus knew what Alec was going to do before he spoke, and in his heart, he wept.

“Will you keep the Downworld safe while I do this?” Alec asked her. The two were locked eyes; it was as if the rest of the world didn’t exist.

“My lands will be open to all who seek protection. On the off chance you fail, I will see my people protected.”

Alec dipped his chin. His gaze flashed to Magnus again, then down to Luke, over to Raphael, and then back to the Queen. The look in his eyes was even harder than before. “If I do this, and if I succeed, I want you to release them. Whatever demands you made, whatever bargain you cast, I want you to free them. Without the threat of Valentine and his Circle, it won’t be necessary anymore. If I do this, I want the Shadow World to be _free_ , not chained down to a different master.”

 _Oh, Alexander_. The fact that he would think to make that deal – Magnus wanted to grab the stupid man and kiss him for all he was worth. He wanted to hold Alec and tell him he didn’t have to do this. That his life was worth more than just being a sacrifice to keep others safe.

The way the Queen smiled said that she’d expected something like this. There was no hesitation as she nodded. “If you call the Hunt, you have my word the Downworld will be released once it is done. From my lands, and from their agreement with me.”

Those words were all Alec seemed to need to hear. His voice was steady when he spoke the words that sealed his fate. “I swear to call on the magic of the Wild Hunt against Valentine Morgenstern and his Circle, to protect the whole of the Shadow world,” Alec said firmly.

The pressure over Magnus’ ears vanished with a _pop_. He swore he heard the echo of a cry as it went – the cry of a rider in the distance, and the baying of a hound.

Smiling, the Seelie Queen dipped her head in respect. “So mote it be.”

All at once, the magic holding everyone in place was gone. The vine around Magnus’ ankle vanished, making him stumble. Yet still, no one moved. They were all watching, waiting, as the Queen folded her hands together in front of her.

“The ritual must take place at nightfall when the sun finally sets from the sky. At that moment, when the veil between worlds is thinnest, and magic is strongest, one can make their call.” Moving away from the table, the Queen walked around it, going right toward Alec. She stopped in front of him and tilted her head so that she looked up at his face. The look was oddly gentle. As was the hand she reached out to lay on his arm. There was a small pulse of magic; Alec’s eyes widened, going unfocused for a second, and then they were back on her face.

The Queen smiled softly. “Take a day, Shadowhunter, and prepare your people. And your will.”

That said, she left, not even bothering to call the others after her.

The doors had barely closed behind her when the quiet of the room shattered. Isabelle spun to Alec, her hand on his arm, and Jace was right there on his other side. “Alec! What’re you doing?” Isabelle demanded. At the same time, Jace was glaring up at him, his grip tight on Alec’s shoulder. “You can’t do this. I don’t care what she says, you can’t do this. There has to be another way.”

Magnus wanted to tell them that arguing was pointless. As soon as Alec had said those words, he’d committed himself to this. To go back on them would make him foresworn, an oath-breaker, and likely prey for the Hunt, as it was to them that he was breaking his oath. There was no turning back now. Alec’s course had been set the instant he’d spoken.

The rest of the room fell away for Magnus. He didn’t hear what arguments the Shadowhunters were giving. All he could focus on was Alec. Alec, who was standing tall under the scolding from his friends. Alec, who was looking over the top of Clary’s head, right at Magnus, those gorgeous eyes of his full of love and apology.

Without realizing it, Magnus started to move. When he noticed, he didn’t stop, only quickened his pace.

A gentle nudge from Alec got Clary out of the way just in time for Magnus to reach him. Up until that point, Magnus wasn’t sure what he was going to do. Yell, scream, hit him for being so stupid, kiss him for being who he was. But then he was there, right in front of him, and Alec was giving him that look of open love that no one else had ever given him before, and Magnus made the only choice that felt right. He flung himself directly into the arms of the man he loved and clung tight.

Strong arms wrapped around Magnus. They cradled him close, pulling him up on his toes until their bodies fit together as perfectly as ever.

Over his head, he felt Alec move, then heard his voice. “Izzy?”

“On it, _hermano_ ,” she answered immediately, no need for a parabatai bond between them for her to understand what her big brother wanted. She sounded just a bit hoarse, yet, like a Shadowhunter, she kept her emotions in check while Magnus listened to her begin to clear the room. It didn’t take her long.

From his spot buried against Alec’s neck, Magnus heard the others walk past. He heard as Luke stopped, and it sounded like he clapped Alec on the shoulder, though he said nothing.

Raphael stopped as well. He didn’t touch Alec, but he did speak. “The Downworld owes you a debt. One that we won’t forget.”

“I didn’t do it for that,” Alec said softly.

“I know. The debt’s there all the same.”

And then there were no more footsteps, no more people, just the sound of the door shutting behind Isabelle as she left the two of them alone.

“You idiot,” Magnus swore. With no one around now to watch them, Magnus yanked himself backward. His fury finally overrode his fear. It had him taking a few steps back and glaring at Alec. “How can you do this?”

“It’s what I need to do.”

Alec said it as if it was the simplest thing in the world. Like anyone would’ve made this choice. Seeing that calmness only served to further infuriate Magnus. That anger broke what little restraint Magnus had, and he ended up blurting out thoughts he probably should’ve kept inside. “We both knew if we hadn’t been fighting you never would’ve agreed to this. Not without talking to me first,” he snapped.

Alec’s silence was answer enough. He wouldn’t have. He would’ve waited, talked it over with Magnus, and they would’ve come to a decision together. But Alec hadn’t had that. He hadn’t had Magnus there to act as his anchor, to keep him from doing stupid stuff like this, and the knowledge of that ate at Magnus like a poison in his gut. He felt guilty, and angry at Alec for making him feel guilty when he wasn’t the one that had done wrong here. Magnus didn’t have anything to feel guilty about, and how dare Alec make him feel that way?

He lashed out because of it. “That’s not fair!” he snapped at Alec. “You can’t do that to me. You can’t put your death on my conscience!”

“Magnus…”

Alec tried to interject, but Magnus was too caught up to let him. “I had every right to be mad at you!” Magnus said harshly. Magic crackled around his fingers. “I still do! You _lied to me_. You lied _to my face_!”

It didn’t give him any satisfaction to see the way Alec flinched at that. To hear the low “I know” that he gave.

“I trusted you, and you kept something huge from me. And now this? Are you doing this just to try and make up for that? As if your death will somehow make it okay that you put the whole of the Downworld at risk?” Magnus demanded.

This time Alec’s flinch was harder, more visible, and it was almost enough to make Magnus reach out to him. Only, Alec seemed to find his own temper underneath it all. It showed in his eyes as he straightened himself back up and glared. “I’m not doing this as atonement, Magnus. I’m doing it because it’s the right thing to do. Do I feel guilty for it? Yes. Would I go back and change it if I could? Of course I would! But this isn’t about that. I need to be a leader for my people. I need to do what I was born to do – protect the Shadow World.”

Why on earth had he ever fallen for a Shadowhunter? Not just any Shadowhunter, either, but a good one. A _noble_ one. “Do you even understand the risk you’re putting yourself under? You could die, Alexander. Or, worse than that, you could be caught up in the Hunt for the rest of eternity.”

“And Valentine would be dead,” Alec said, his voice soft once more, yet no less steady. “All of our people would be safe. That’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make.”

When Alec stepped toward him, Magnus didn’t stop him. He just stood there and let Alec come right up into his personal space. There was only a brief hesitation, and then Alec’s hands were there, cupping his cheeks, tipping his head up. With his eyes, Alec asked permission, and Magnus gave a small nod. The kiss that Alec pressed against his lips felt like coming home.

“I love you,” Alec said softly. “I love you, and I’m sorry. I should’ve told you about the Soul Sword. And I’m sorry that this is going to hurt you. But I have to do this, Magnus. I need you to understand that. I have to keep our people safe.”

The burn of tears built in Magnus’ eyes. He didn’t bother holding them back. Not even the fact that they were in the Institute was enough to keep them at bay. Looking up at Alec, he let the other man see the love he felt. Though he was angry and afraid, that wasn’t what he was going to send Alec off with. Especially not if he wanted to give him the strength to come back.

Magnus brought his hands up to grip at Alec’s waist. There, he held on tight enough to bruise, keeping their bodies pressed together. “I love you too, you noble, self-sacrificing idiot. And you damn well better remember that.”

The smile Alec gave him was bright enough to light up the room. “I never doubted that.”

The surety with which he said it only had Magnus clinging tighter. No one had ever loved him the way that Alec did. No one had ever trusted in Magnus’ love the way he did, either.

“Spend the day with me,” Magnus blurted out.

He saw Alec’s eyebrows go up in surprise. Clearly, he hadn’t expected that. “What?”

“Spend the day with me. One day, just us. Now until nightfall tomorrow.”

“Magnus…” Pausing, Alec grimaced, his eyes darting down and away. He stroked his hands over Magnus’ cheeks, down to his neck. It left his thumbs gently moving over Magnus’ jawline. “I have things here I need to arrange. People I need to speak with.”

Magnus nodded his head and desperately clutched Alec closer. “Take tonight, deal with what you need to here, and come to me when you’re done? Before first light?”

Everything about Alec softened. He leaned in, brushing his nose against Magnus’ before taking another kiss. One that Magnus offered up to him willingly. “I’ll be there.”


	3. Chapter 3

It wasn’t easy to send Magnus home. Neither one of them wanted to let go of the other. But Alec had things to do, and he had family waiting for him. If he wanted to be able to spend the next day – his _last_ day – with Magnus, he needed to go and take care of all the other important things. None of which was going to be easy.

Nothing about this day was going to be easy. Alec was well aware of that. He tried to prepare himself for it as much as possible.

To his gratitude, there was no one outside the room after Magnus left. His siblings must’ve known better than to corner Alec where anyone else could see. But that didn’t mean he was getting out of it. All he had to do was head in the direction of his office; halfway there and the thrumming of his parabatai bond made it clear he was going in the right direction. That left Alec with only a few halls with which to gather up his courage and prepare for the conversation ahead. This was going to be equally as hard as the one with Magnus, if not more so. He didn’t want to, but he had to do it. He owed them that much.

As expected, Jace wasn’t the only one waiting for Alec in his office. When Alec opened the door, he found Jace and Clary on the couch, and Isabelle leaning back against his desk. All of them shot up straight as soon as Alec opened the door.

He made it three steps inside the room before he was hit by his sister.

Literally.

Isabelle marched up to him and punched his arm – hard. She didn’t even pay attention to his “Ow!” She was too busy glaring at him, arms crossed over her chest. “What the hell were you thinking?” she demanded sharply.

“You can’t do this!” That was Jace, so furious sounding. It was honest, but it was also a cover for the fear that Alec could read on his face as he marched up to stand beside Isabelle, right in front of Alec. “You’ve gotta tell the Queen you changed your mind, you’re not doing it.”

Though he knew it wouldn’t go over well, Alec hooked his hands behind his back and told them the unvarnished truth. “I can’t.”

“What do you mean you can’t?” Jace snapped.

“I spoke the words to the Seelie Queen, Jace. That makes them mean more than they would if I said them to anyone else. More than that, I made a vow concerning the Wild Hunt. That’s not something I can just back out of. If I do, the Hunt will be raised on its own, and I’ll be the prey instead of the Huntsman.”

That took the wind out of their sails. All at once, Jace and Isabelle deflated, the anger falling away to the raw emotion underneath. Emotion that they didn’t typically let anyone else see. It said a lot for their trust of Clary that they did it in front of her. She proved herself worthy of it – a fact Alec wouldn’t have admitted in the past – by putting one hand on Jace’s back while reaching with her other to take Isabelle’s hand. She offered support to both of them, understanding that they needed it, and the look she gave Alec was her attempt at offering it to him as well.

Little as he’d liked her at some points in the past, Alec was big enough to admit that she’d grown on him. More so now, when he was faced with the truth of her affection for his siblings right there in front of him.

If something happened to Alec during this and he didn’t come home – a fact he knew was all too likely – the care of his siblings was likely going to fall on her. Magnus would try to help; he was too much of a caretaker not to. But the look that had been in his eyes earlier told Alec that his pain might be a bit too great to handle helping someone else. Absently, Alec made a mental note to reach out to Catarina before the night was over.

That meant that someone was going to have to watch over Jace and Isabelle. Looking at Clary, well, there was no one else at that moment that Alec could think of to do the job and do it right. Maryse would try; she was getting better. Robert might even come out. He’d always loved Isabelle the most. But neither Jace nor Isabelle would want to be weak in front of them.

They’d do it in front of her.

Alec held Clary’s eyes, and he saw the knowledge in her gaze. She knew where this was going, and her sorrow was like a blow and a hug all at the same time. Maybe they hadn’t started out as friends – they were now.

The only way Alec could keep his voice steady was to clench his hands together even tighter behind his back. “I’m sorry, you guys. I know this isn’t ideal, and I know you’re not happy. But I’m doing this. If I have a chance to save the whole of the Shadow world, I can’t walk away from it, and I can’t ignore it.”

“Why couldn’t you send someone else?” Isabelle asked. Her tone was heavy with a resignation that said she already knew the answer to that.

Alec didn’t dignify that with a response. He shook his head, dismissing her question, and tightened his grip on his hands so much it was going to be a wonder if he didn’t cut his nails into his skin. _Calm. Steady. Control._ That was the mantra he held himself to.

One of the earliest lessons his father had taught him was that a leader had to be calm and steady and always in control. Because the minute a leader started to panic, everything fell apart. _“If people can see that their leader is calm, they’ll be calm, too. They base their reaction to things off of what they see in their leadership. After all, if you’re calm, things can’t be that bad. But if you’re panicking? Well, it only justifies their own panic, and then you’re all doomed.”_

That was advice that Alec had seen proof of multiple times. Sometimes it was the only way he was able to get through another one of their crises. “ _Fake it till you make it, as the mundanes say,_ ” Isabelle had jokingly said once. It wasn’t wrong. Alec could fake it all night long if he had to. He could be strong and steady and give them the confidence that he didn’t actually feel.

Reminding himself of all that helped Alec to square his shoulders and wrap himself up in the persona of _leader_ and _big brother_ that he’d spent a lifetime cultivating. Not an ounce of his inner fear or pain showed through.

“I need every Shadowhunter kept inside the walls of the Institute tomorrow night,” Alec said. “Magnus is spreading word to the Downworld to make sure that they stay in as well, while also trying to keep quiet. The last thing we want is Valentine getting even a hint of what might be happening. What that means is that I need the two of you to make sure that things go off without a hitch tomorrow night. Keep everyone inside. Once it… once it’s started, you can tell them. But until then, this is a secret. No one knows.”

“What about Maryse?” Jace asked. He was still shaky, still scared, and angry, but Alec could feel him drawing strength from the steadiness of their bond. He was straightening up under Clary’s hand. Jace understood better than anyone out there just how Alec felt, and how this whole persona wasn’t just for their benefit.

At his question, Alec shook his head. “No. I’ll leave a note for Mom, just in case. But we know she’d just try and step in to stop this. Or she’d alert the Clave. I can’t have either of those things happening.”

“Alec…” Isabelle began, taking a small step forward.

He shook his head at her, too. The last thing he needed was for her to touch him right then. Alec wasn’t sure he’d be able to stand up to that. “It’s what needs to be done. I’ll make sure to write it before morning, so it’ll be ready to go along with all the other documents I’ve had prepared. While I’m out tomorrow, you’re in charge, Izzy. And… after, if needed. All the documentation will be in a folder on my desk when I leave. I’m putting you as my replacement in case of an emergency.”

That stunned Isabelle silent. Her mouth dropped open like she was going to speak, only for her to snap it shut again.

Softening a little, Alec gave her a crooked smile. “There’s no one I trust more to keep our people safe, and on the path we’ve been following. I trust you to keep our people safe, Izzy. All of them.”

The girl that Isabelle had once been would’ve been completely overwhelmed by the idea of this. Not that he would’ve picked her back then, no matter how much he loved her. Isabelle had always been strong, always someone he trusted, but this past year he’d watched her grow from an impulsive girl into a strong, independent woman he fully trusted to watch over everything that Alec had been working so hard to build. She’d be able to lead the Shadowhunters into the future – the _right_ future.

Alec and Jace shared a brief look, neither one really needing to say what they were both thinking. With a small smile, Jace let Alec know that he understood why Alec had picked her and fully supported it.

Isabelle straightened herself up when Alec turned back to her. She stood taller, shoulders back and chin up, and Alec felt so much _pride_ at the woman she’d grown into. He saw a brief flash of the bright-eyed child she’d once been, clinging to him and demanding that he show her some new moves. Then it was gone, and he was left with this vision in front of him who was everything he’d ever wanted for her and more. “I’ll do my best, Alec.”

“I know you will.” Alec gave her one last smile. Then he forced himself to step away, to move over toward his desk. “I’d like to go over a few plans I have with you if you don’t mind. I can find someone to fill in for your patrol tonight. There are a few things I want to discuss, and I…” Pausing, he looked at his desk, away from his siblings. “I promised Magnus I’d be by at first light.”

They heard what it was he wasn’t saying there, and Alec loved them all the more for not commenting on any of it. Not on the fact that he and Magnus had been broken up just an hour ago, or Magnus’ reaction in the meeting room, or the fact that Alec was clearly going to go and spend what might be his last day with the man he loved.

Tonight – tonight was for them. Alec would sit and plan with them, do everything in his power to make sure the vision he’d been building toward would survive even if he didn’t, and maybe even have a few drinks and a few laughs with two people who he loved and who had always loved him even when it felt like no one else did.

Come morning light, he would be Magnus’, and Alec’s heart was aching at the idea of that long goodbye. But here, now? He was theirs, and they were his, just the way it had always been.

* * *

Walking away from the Institute was one of the hardest things that Alec had ever done. He didn’t go with a lot of fanfare. He didn’t even have his siblings there to bid him farewell. They’d already had their goodbyes, privately and quietly in a way that was unlike what people would probably expect from them. Just tight hugs and soft whispers of “I love you” and “You come back, you hear? Some people made it back – you damn well better do the same, brother.”

The only one who was there to notice his leaving was Underhill, and though they knew one another better than most, there was a level of respect there between them that Alec’s status helped maintain. That meant that he only dipped his head in a silent goodbye as Alec left. He didn’t think anything of it to see Alec leaving. He had no idea that this might be the very last time Alec walked through here. That there was every chance that this time tomorrow might find Alec dead or as good as.

 _It’s for the good of the Shadow world,_ Alec reminded himself as he walked. He didn’t look behind him. Not when every step felt like a small part of his heart was breaking off. _This is what’s best. For everyone_.

The only thing that kept Alec moving was the knowledge that Magnus was waiting for him. Magnus, who was terrified and hurt and angry. Magnus, who loved him without an ounce of shame, though Alec wondered if there were regrets. Especially with recent events, and now _this_.

He walked the familiar path that took him to a place that had become more of a home to him than anywhere else had. Just the sight of the loft was enough to make him stumble a little.

He hadn’t been sure he’d see this place again. That Magnus would ever let him back here.

Yet when Alec walked up those familiar stairs, up into the familiar hallway, the door to Magnus’ loft was already opening.

There, framed in the doorway, was the single most beautiful sight that Alec had ever known, and it was all for him.

Magnus stood silhouetted in the morning light behind him, giving him a glow that put Alec into mind of the angels that were supposed to be _his_ heritage. It lit his skin, golden and caramel, so much of it on display thanks to the simple silk pants Magnus wore. He had nothing else on. No shirt, no jewelry, no makeup, no product. It was simply Magnus, bared in a way that had always been private, a sight solely for Alec to enjoy.

Seeing it now stole the breath from Alec’s lungs. He hadn’t realized he’d stopped to stare, not until his feet were moving again, carrying him forward into the open arms waiting for him.

Alec was enfolded into Magnus’ arms. Held close and tight against Magnus, it felt like Alec could breathe again. The weight that was pushing against his shoulders was a little easier to bear.

“Welcome home,” Magnus murmured, and it sounded like Heaven. He drew Alec in, holding him so close, so tight, and it was everything Alec needed at that moment.

He was barely aware of Magnus drawing them backward or of the front door shutting. For a long time, the two of them stood there by the closed doors and just clung to one another. Alec wasn’t sure how much time had passed when Magnus finally broke the silence.

“I’m going to say this now and get it out of the way, and then we aren’t going to discuss it again today,” he said softly. His arms tightened around Alec. “I am still absolutely furious with you for what happened. What you’re doing here doesn’t change that.”

Pain squeezed like a vice around Alec’s heart. “I know.”

“But…” Magnus drew in a deep breath, blowing it back out against Alec’s neck. Then he pressed a surprisingly gentle kiss there. “None of that makes me love you any less or want you in my life any less. I was angry, and I was hurt, and instead of trying to fix things, I let my anger get the best of me. Walking away never solved any problem.” His arms squeezed around Alec’s waist. “We can fix this. I _want_ to fix this. With time and work, I believe we can get back to where we were before. Stronger, even.”

Slowly, Magnus drew back, lifting his face as he did. His eyes caught Alec’s and held them with a sharp intensity that made it impossible for Alec to look away.

“But if we’re going to get the chance to do that, I need you to _survive_ ,” Magnus said. His hands moved, gripping at Alec’s hips now, and eyes flashed with barely restrained magic. “Do you hear me, Alexander? I don’t care what the numbers say. I don’t care what anyone believes. If there’s the smallest chance that you can come home to me, you will do everything in your power to fight for it. If our love, our future, means anything to you, you’ll _fight_.”

Those words were everything Alec could’ve ever hoped to hear. They were a promise of hope. Magnus wasn’t telling him everything was forgotten – he wasn’t _lying_. He was giving Alec honest hope. A chance to try to fix things, just so long as he came back home.

Even so, Alec had to make sure. He had to know that Magnus truly wanted this. “Don’t do this just because you think it’s the only way to get me to survive. If you don’t mean it…”

“I’m absolutely doing this so that you’ll fight to survive,” Magnus interjected. “But that doesn’t make it any less true.”

“Even if…even if this does change me? Even if I come back…different?”

That was the quiet fear that had sat in Alec ever since the Seelie Queen had mentioned it. Logically, he knew that Magnus wouldn’t walk away because of that. He’d walk away because of Alec’s mistakes long before he’d ever walk away because of some physical change that the Hunt caused. But… there were others who would. If this changed Alec the way that the Queen suggested, he wasn’t going to be a Shadowhunter anymore. He wasn’t going to have a place back in his Institute. It wouldn’t even _be_ his anymore.

The idea of losing all of that was almost more than Alec could take. It was worth it. Oh, was it worth it! He would give that life up a thousand times over if it meant saving everyone and everything that had ever mattered to him. He just… he needed to _know_ ….

Hardness and anger gave way to something so very soft in Magnus’ eyes. It was the same look that he got on his face after some of Alec’s bigger nightmares. Or when they’d opened up to one another about their pasts and Alec had shared stories of the childhood he’d never had and the siblings he sometimes felt were almost like his own children.

“Alexander.” Magnus moved his hands from Alec’s hips so that he could bring them up to cup Alec’s face between them. Firm fingers held his cheeks, his jaw, and gentle thumbs stroked soothingly over his cheeks. Not once did Magnus break eye contact with him. “So long as your heart and soul reside in your body, I will always love you. Even if that body changes. It doesn’t matter how you come back. Seelie, Unseelie, Sluagh – just so long as you _come back_.”

Emotion clogged Alec’s throat. It stole his voice away, and to his horror, he found the backs of his eyes burning with tears that he never let shed anywhere other than in private with this man.

This time it was Alec taking hold of Magnus’ hips to draw him in. At the same time, he bent his head until their foreheads were pressed together. “I’m sorry I lied to you,” he murmured. When Magnus made to speak, Alec gave his hips a squeeze to silence him. “No, let me say this. I am sorry that I lied to you, Magnus. I’m sorry that I broke the trust between us. I know my actions don’t show it, but there is no one in my life that I love, trust, or respect more than you. And if you let me, I’ll spend the rest of my life doing my best to make it up to you.”

Magnus didn’t belittle his words by trying to brush them off. He acknowledged them with a soft nod and an even softer “Thank you.”

“I’ll fight,” Alec promised him. He closed his eyes, pressing his forehead a little bit harder against Magnus’ in a touch that helped to ground him. “I can’t promise I’ll make it, but I can promise that I’ll do everything I can to come back to you.”

He could hear the smile in Magnus’ words as he said, “That’s all I ask.”

The kiss they shared then felt as natural as breathing.

It felt like coming home.


	4. Chapter 4

The day was too short. There weren’t enough hours in it for either Alec or Magnus. They cherished every moment that they had together, each wishing in their own way to somehow slow down time, make it _stop_. But seconds passed into minutes, and minutes into hours, and far too soon, the sun was beginning its slow descent into the horizon.

They were out of time.

Together, the two finally dragged themselves out of bed, out of the little shell of peace that they’d wrapped around themselves. Alec got dressed in the same Shadowhunter gear he’d pulled on countless times over the years. It wouldn’t do him any good tonight, he knew, yet there was a comfort in drawing on the thigh holster, pulling on his leather jacket, slinging his bow and quiver over his shoulder.

Neither one said anything. Not until they reached the living room and Alec looked at Magnus, ready to say what neither one of them wanted to hear.

“I’m not leaving until the very last moment,” Magnus said firmly, anticipating Alec’s words.

“You can’t. No one can be there when I summon them.” Alec’s voice was soft yet strong. His resolve hadn’t wavered. The only thing that had changed was that he was walking into this now with a much stronger reason to survive.

Thinking of what little he knew through stories, and what the Seelie Queen had discreetly shared with him with that final touch, Alec knew that he couldn’t let Magnus stay for the summoning. Not if he wanted there to be a Magnus for him to come home to.

The Wild Hunt was made up of the Sluagh – a group of beings so monstrous, so nightmarish, even the other Fae were scared of them. Who and what they really were was the stuff of legends and myths. Stories that they had no proof of. The Queen had warned Alec that many who weren’t strong enough were sucked into the Hunt but didn’t have the power to be the Huntsman. They gave the Hunters a purpose and were caught up in that chaos, making them just like the other Sluagh. Rumors said that their victims joined their ranks as well.

Only those strong enough, with a cause that was right and just, became the Huntsman. Then, after, those that survived became something _more_. Or _less_ , depending on the view.

Either Alec would be touched by the Sluagh or touched by the power of the Huntsman. What it would turn him in to was going to be up to his own heart and his own strength.

Whatever he became, the Queen had left him with the assurance that he would have a place amongst the Unseelie. They were the dark to the Seelie light. They were made up of all the Fae that were too dark or different to be considered _Seelie_ , or _good_.

Alec was prepared to accept that. He was prepared to become whatever this Hunt made him so long as he was able to keep the Shadow World safe as he did. So long as family and loved ones were safe.

But Magnus? He wasn’t willing to risk Magnus. A being of such strong magic – if he was too close when the Hunt was called, when it came, he could risk being drawn in. There were countless stories that warned people to stay inside when they heard the Hunt coming to keep them safe and to keep from being caught up in its magic and lost forever.

The look on Magnus’ face said that he knew the stories, too, and wasn’t happy about them.

Sighing, Alec turned himself toward his partner. The two of them were standing in the middle of the living room while the last rays of sun painted the air a golden color around them. There, in that moment of light – what might be his very last moment of light – Alec drew Magnus in as close as he possibly could, and he kissed him. One last kiss full of all the things he might never get the chance to say.

When they broke apart, he had to put some of them into words. Three of the most important words he’d ever said in his life. “I love you.”

“As I love you,” Magnus said back, just as warm and just as strong. He clung to Alec, cradling his face once more, and his eyes were full of love and pleading mixed in with a fierce determination. “Remember what you promised – you fight to come back, you hear me? _Come back to me._ ”

Alec licked his lips and nodded.

There was no more time. Not if Alec wanted to be ready when the sun set and twilight reached its fingers out over the world. He needed to be in a secluded place when that time came. He needed to be ready.

Only one place felt appropriate to do this. Maybe it was blasphemy, to want to come so close to the place he’d known as home, a place he was never again going to see again, and call forth the stuff of nightmares. He knew it felt _right_ , though.

The portal Magnus opened for him would take Alec right to the edges of Lake Lyn.

All Alec allowed himself was one last kiss from Magnus. One last look. Then he gathered the armor that he’d been crafting since birth. Drawing it around himself, he let it straighten his spine, let it lift his chin so that he walked through the portal with confidence and ease.

He didn’t let himself look back. If he had, he might’ve seen the lost look on Magnus’ face. He might’ve heard the final “Please, come back” that slipped past those lips.

* * *

Preparing to call the Wild Hunt was far more simple than Alec had thought it would be. This here was what the Queen had wanted to pass to Alec in that last touch. She’d shown him some information, including the proper way to summon the Wild Hunt without risking being destroyed before he’d even begun.

Most of it was about intent. Intent, conviction, and timing.

Alec had two out of three, and he was already setting himself up to be ready for the third. His intent and conviction burned in his blood. They carried him through the preparations as he pulled out the knife he’d brought with him.

This was the part that he hadn’t wanted to tell Magnus. The one piece that he’d kept to himself.

The Wild Hunt was made up of nightmares, spectral beasts of such immense horrors no living being could look at them and stay sane. They were not for the minds of men to see. Even the Fae folk were shaken by the sight of them, though they stood a chance of surviving. A human, even a Shadowhunter, didn’t stand a chance.

The Hunt was not for the living. The Wild Hunt was for the dead, and only the dead could summon it.

This was why so few people survived. Those that weren’t strong enough were either caught up in the Wild Hunt itself or left for dead. And it was why those that did survive were changed. There would be no walking away from this as the Shadowhunter that Alec had once been.

He watched the sun sat one last time, and quietly wished to himself that he’d get the chance to see it rise again.

As the last of the light bled away, the darkness slowly seeping in to take its place, Alec took a deep breath and lowered himself down to his knees in the grass at the shores of the lake. The hilt of his knife was pressed down between his thighs. Alec’s hands were steady when he placed his wrists on either side of the blade.

He fixed the image in his mind of what he wanted. This was the most important part, the Queen had warned him. Alec worked to make sure his intent and need were the clearest things in his mind. He pushed away thoughts of his family, of Magnus, of all of them, and he focused only on what he wanted here. What he _needed_. Then, without hesitation, he angled his arms and drew them along the blade.

The knife had been angled, as had his arms, so that it cut diagonally over most of his forearm. It was sharp, as all his knives were, so the cuts went deep, fast.

For one split second, there was numbness. It was followed almost instantly by a pain that had Alec gasping. He fought to keep steady. To keep his body from simply falling over as he felt his life and blood begin to drain away.

There was a roar of pain over his parabatai bond. Alec regretted having to do this – to hurt Jace this way. To hurt them all. They’d fear the worst, he knew. But it was what he had to do. If he’d had room for sorrow, he would’ve sent it down the bond with as much love as he could muster. But he couldn’t afford to lose his conviction. Not here. Not now.

Alec held on to the love he felt for Jace, for Izzy, for Magnus, Max, his Mom, his Dad, all of them, and he let that burn like a fire, fueling his intent. His need.

The last of the sun set, and Alec stumbled, his body bowing down as blood loss began to set in.

In the distance, he heard the baying of the hounds and the sounds of hoofbeats.

The Hunt had come.

Power filled the air. So thick that Alec could taste it. He’d been around power before – had felt Magnus’ in so many different ways. None of that was anything like this. This felt, well, _Wild_. Chaotic. It tore through the air, the ground, dancing over his skin like the creeping fingers he used to imagine the demons under his bed possessed, back when he was young and sure they would get him if he stretched a toe out of bed. They curled around Alec, invisible and yet _there_ , holding him up as his body began to slump.

When he lifted his head, the sight that met him was enough to steal the air from his lungs.

No words could’ve prepared Alec for this. Nightmares come to life littered the dark ground in front of him. Whatever light had been left seemed to have been sucked away by these… these _creatures_. Beasts. Alec could barely take them in. He knew, staring at them, how men had gone made at just a glimpse alone.

From amongst the horses and hounds and creatures, a rolling black shape broke free. It was formless, and yet gave the impression of something moving, _stalking_ toward him, and if Alec had been less strong, he might’ve cowered away in fear. He might’ve tried to run.

As it was, he just barely kept in place, watching as it got closer and closer. When it reached him, something in Alec – or the magic in the air, maybe – prompted him to lift his arms. To bare the wounds that still bled.

That being, whatever it was, came closer, and Alec had the impression of a head bowing down… a tongue scraping across the skin of his arms, wider than any tongue should be…

The darkness began to shift and swirl at the first touch of his blood. Alec watched with stunned shock as it flowed like water, shifting and rippling with the magic that made it up, until there was a stallion there lifting its head where once had been nothing but darkness and magic. A beast of pure black, with eyes and hair that burned like white fire, the horse drew itself up, and Alec found himself drawing up as well.

His knife clattered to the ground behind him as he pushed to his feet. He would no longer need it. Alec drew up on one foot, and then the other, and the magic was rolling through him now as well, his own body rippling just the way the stallion’s had done, and Alec felt his fear drain away just like the blood that had poured from his arms.

Black spilled from his runes like ink, running over the white of his skin and staining it dark. Or, chasing away the light. By the time Alec reached his feet, his skin was as dark as the nightmares ahead of him, as dark as his steed’s, and his hair burned just as brightly white.

He grabbed the mane of the horse and vaulted into his seat with an ease he’d never had around horses. It felt like the most natural thing in the world to sit there, the hunt at his back, and his prey ahead of him.

The conviction that Alec had carried out here with him still burned strong in his breast. He let that fire consume him, lighting his eyes with an inner fire. He didn’t look behind him as he turned his horse to the East – toward his prey. The Hunt would always follow the Huntsman, and tonight, Alec was in control.

With a cry, the Wild Hunt set off into the sky.


	5. Chapter 5

Never had there been a longer night in all of Magnus’ years. He could remember many long ones in the past. Plenty of nights that he hadn’t been sure he’d survive for one reason or another. But he couldn’t remember one as fraught with tension and fear and the threat of so much grief just waiting on the horizon.

After Alec had left him, there was no way Magnus was going to be able to stay at his loft all night. The rooms were too empty, echoing with the memories and pleasure that he’d found there.

So, Magnus had come here, to the only place he could stand being in that moment, with the only people he knew would understand his fear.

The New York Institute was in chaos when Magnus arrived. Dark was falling, and it seemed that Isabelle had taken her final orders from Alec seriously. She was in the middle of a speech to the entire Institute about what was going on, and what was required of them. Magnus arrived just in time to hear the tail end of it.

“What Alec is doing tonight is beyond anything any Shadowhunter has ever done before,” she told the room. It cut across the sharp protests that had been being shouted here and there. With the kind of strength that these Lightwoods were so known for, Isabelle stood proud and tall in front of them and kept a tight lock on her own grief so that she could do what her brother had done so many times – be the leader these people needed her to be. “Tonight, he’s giving up everything he has, everything he is, to protect the Shadow World. His final orders were for all Shadowhunters to stay in tonight and _stay safe_. I’m not willing to break our Commander’s last orders. Are you?”

 _Oh, very well done._ Magnus mentally applauded her. No one in the room was going to dare protest that.

Silence fell over the room while the enormity of what was happening seemed to hit them all. Magnus looked around the room at these people, Alec’s people, and he saw the love and respect that he’d never been able to fully convince Alec was there. He wasn’t a leader here just because of a piece of paper. Alec had the heart of his Institute. These people were loyal to _him_ first and foremost.

And it was because of things like this. Because Alec didn’t hesitate to do what needed to be done to keep them all safe, no matter the personal cost.

Magnus felt his heart ache with a stab of love and pain.

At the same time, Jace began to scream.

The sharp sound cut through the quiet of the Ops Room. All eyes turned toward him as Jace let out a cry of clear pain and began to drop to the ground. In that cry was a word, a _name_ , that child Magnus to the bone.

“ _Alec_!”

It felt like Magnus had barely made the decision to move before he was suddenly across the room. He and Isabelle reached Jace at the same time, both of them reaching out to him, bracing him up as he leaned against the wall and clutched over his _parabatai_ rune. There were tears streaming down his face, and when Magnus caught his eye, the pain there was more than he could stand to see. Knowing that Alec and Jace were bonded was one thing. Seeing the pain of it in Jace’s eyes as a part of Alec was ripped away from him, as he lost a part of his own soul, brought it to reality in a way no words had ever been able to.

Without looking, Magnus knew what he would find when Jace moved his shirt. He didn’t need to look to know that the _parabatai_ rune was fading. Yet still, his eyes went there, and grief hit him like a knife to the heart.

In the distance, Magnus heard the baying of the hounds, the sounds of hoofbeats pounding the ground, and he felt the magic that entered their city.

The Hunt had come.

“It’s started,” Magnus murmured, staring off at the far wall. _At Alec_.

Isabelle’s hand gripped tightly to Magnus’ bicep. “Alec?”

“He’s a part of the Hunt now.” The words felt like glass, slicing their way up Magnus’ throat and leaving him feeling shredded. _Please, please, come back to me. Please come back to me._ “The living hold no part in the Hunt. Alec is theirs now until it’s done.” He knew that Alec had known that, had kept it from him, but it was one secret Magnus couldn’t begrudge him. He would’ve done the same in Alec’s shoes.

If it’d been hard to wait before, it was even harder now. Magnus knelt beside Jace with one hand on his shoulder, and Isabelle leaning against his side, and the trio stared off at the wall together. The eyes of the other Shadowhunters around turned that way though none of them could see what Magnus saw. They couldn’t see the dark magic that was pouring over the city, pressing against the wards of this place like dark, questing little fingers, testing it for weaknesses, seeking out the scent of the one they hunted.

He’d told all his warlocks to keep inside their homes tonight. Word had been spread to the Downworlders all around. Werewolves, Seelie, lesser Fae, Vampires, Warlocks, Shadowhunters. Everyone was hiding inside their own walls tonight. They hid inside their homes in the hopes that the nightmares that stalked the night would pass them by.

Magnus knew he had nothing to fear. Not from Alec. And he had every faith that Alec had proved strong enough to lead the Hunt. If there were any out there who could do it, it’d be him.

“ _Angelus sit apud vos_ ,” Jace murmured. _Angel be with you_.

 _There are no angels where he’s at right now._ Magnus kept that thought to himself. This wasn’t the path of angels that Alec was on. But that didn’t make it any less right.

He wouldn’t count on the angels to keep Alec safe tonight. He’d trust to his boyfriend’s strength of heart, and his iron will to bring him home. It was all he could hope for.

* * *

The hours of the night stretched out into one another. There was nothing to be done; nothing for any of them to do. A whole building full of Shadowhunters, and they were all trapped inside. Magnus half-heartedly regretted his decision to be here instead of in the safety of his own home. At least there he would’ve been able to pace and rant and rave without worry that someone was going to look askance at the little spurts of magic that wanted to burst from his fingertips.

This was where he needed to be, though. Here, with Alec’s family, doing the job that Alec couldn’t do right then.

Poor Clary tried. She tried to take care of the siblings. But she had her hands full with a grieving Jace who was forced to feel the emptiness of a severed bond. While she handled him, Magnus worked to keep an eye on Isabelle.

She didn’t sit quiet and aching the way that Jace did. Nor did she lash out. No, Isabelle took a different route, one far more like her brother’s than Magnus had realized she’d have. She spent the first half of her night soothing down various Shadowhunters, assigning them different duties, and making herself available for whatever they might need.

The second half, she trained.

Magnus had always admired the grace and strength of the Shadowhunters, even as he’d hated them for it through various points of his life. He’d been able to appreciate the look of it while hating what they’d turned it toward sometimes.

Yet – maybe it was because of his connection to them, his love for Alec, his friendship with Isabelle – there was something about these Lightwood siblings that he found he could watch over and over again. They moved with a deadly grace that was as chilling as it was mesmerizing. Through the long hours of the early morning, Magnus sat and watched as Isabelle pushed her body the same way that Alec had countless times in the past. He didn’t try to stop her. What was the point? Without this, what would she do but sit and wonder and worry? At most, he made sure she kept hydrated, and that any injury she dealt herself was handled quickly and easily.

Not even training could hold her forever, though.

The closer they got to dawn, the antsier they all became. Dawn was when it would all be over. When, one way or another, fate would be set.

* * *

It was an hour before dawn when Magnus felt it. Every warlock in the city of New York and its surrounding boroughs felt the sharp cry of magic that echoed outward in ripples that turned into waves, crashing over them all and sending many of them to their knees. Even Magnus, arguably one of the strongest in the city, if not the state, was sent to one knee when he felt it crash over him.

Hounds cried out, their baying echoing on the waves, and the whispers of nightmares turned into screams of joy that were felt by countless. Many would be having nightmares that night, and the next few, Downworlder, Shadowhunter, and Mundane alike. They might never know the cause, but the dark joy of the Hunt would seep into their minds, their dreams, whispering of pain and death for those that dared fall on their trail.

Thankfully, Magnus had been in Alec’s office when it happened. Somehow the group of them had migrated there together. Jace and Clary were cuddled together on the couch, while Isabelle was over at the balcony, staring off into the dark through the windows. When Magnus, who’d been standing near the fire in the hopes that it would warm the chill inside him, let out a cry and hit the ground, everyone reacted in an instant.

Isabelle reached him first. Her hand curled over his shoulder, holding him up. He hated to admit that she probably kept him from pitching forward onto his face.

“What is it?” Jace demanded, hitting the ground on both knees with a solid thud. He reached out, gripping at Magnus knee, heedless of the way the warlock was bracing both his arms there to try and keep himself up. “What’s happened? Is it Alec? Can you feel him?”

Even as Clary was trying to shush Jace, Magnus was shaking his head. “Valentine,” he said slowly. “Valentine’s dead.”

There was no denying what that burst of power had meant. Magnus knew it – he felt it deep down in his bones. _Valentine was dead._ Even with fear still eating at his heart, there was a part of Magnus that rejoiced. He wondered how many Circle members had fallen with him. Had they been hunted, too? Or had they just gotten in the way?

“Thank the angel,” Isabelle breathed out.

A wide, proud grin lit Jace’s face. “He did it. He really did it.”

Any sense of joy Magnus felt was washed away underneath his fear. His _need_ for Alec to survive this.

Magnus knew the reasons that Alec had done this. What had motivated him. They were leaders, both of them, and there wasn’t much that they wouldn’t do to keep their people safe. As much as Magnus hated this whole thing, all of it, he could respect it, too. Alec had done what was best for their people as a whole. Not just Shadowhunters, not just Downworlders, but the entirety of the Shadow World – and the mundanes, too, who would’ve felt the backlash of Valentine’s rule.

Alec had done what he felt was right. It was one of the things that Magnus loved and hated about him.

All he could do now was pray that Alec’s sense of doing what was right would be strong enough to help _bring him home_.

The grip on his shoulder tightened. When he looked up, he found Isabelle looking at him fiercely, her eyes lit with a determined fire. “He’ll come back to us, Magnus.”

“He’s too stubborn not to,” Clary chimed in. She flashed a weak grin at them all. “Besides, you really think he’d leave you two unsupervised for long?”

Her teasing words brought a few soft smiles to the three with her. There was a soft, warm sort of conviction that settled over them. Though they worried, they clung to that little thread of hope. They tried to trust in Alec’s strength – it hadn’t failed them before.

“If he does come back…” Magnus paused, clearing out the lump of emotion in his throat. “ _When_ he comes back, he’s not going to be the same. You all need to be prepared for that. He’s going to be different.”

It was Clary who asked the question that Magnus could see they were all thinking. “What do you mean, different?”

Though it took a little effort, Magnus pushed himself up off his knee. His legs still shook a little when he finally got up on them. But they were steady enough to carry him away from them, away from their touches that had gone from feeling comforting to smothering. He walked over to the little minibar that he’d summoned in here for Alec – _“Some conversations go over easier with a drink to share, Alexander!” –_ and busied himself with pouring a drink. If Alec hadn’t already explained this to them, he wasn’t sure it was his place to do it. But they needed to be prepared.

Magnus drank half his glass down in one swallow. The burn of alcohol helped steady him a little. His voice didn’t quaver when he spoke, thank magic. “There’s no telling what kind of changes might happen.” His heart… he had to believe Alec’s heart would survive. As for the rest of him… Magnus turned to look at the others, trying to keep himself calm in the hopes that it would help them to stay calm. “There’ll be physical changes. What his body has gone through – he won’t walk away from that unmarked. You’ve got to be ready for that. He might not…look like Alec.”

That was one of Alec’s fears, he knew. Just as he knew it was one of the things that Alec had been resigned to. He hadn’t gone into this thinking that he’d be able to pick his life up just as it had been afterward. Magnus had seen the look in Alec’s eyes during those hours before he’d left. As Magnus had traced lips and tongue and teeth across that beautiful skin, tracing over runes he’d memorized, he’d looked up and seen the knowledge in the backs of Alec’s eyes. The one that said he knew this wasn’t something he would get to hold on to.

It made Magnus ache for him. Whatever this changed Alec into, however he came back to them, Magnus didn’t personally care. He didn’t care if Alec came back with tentacles, six legs, multiple eyes, or dripping tar like some demon. Just so long as he came _home_. They’d deal with the rest of it.

One look at the faces in front of him and Magnus knew that they would, too. “He’ll still be Alec,” Isabelle said firmly.

Jace nodded his agreement. “I don’t care what he looks like.”

Privately, Magnus hoped that they held on to that conviction. He knew it wasn’t going to be that simple. There was no telling how they’d react to however Alec came back to them. Magnus – Magnus had seen plenty in his long years. Things that he knew would make even the strongest of Shadowhunters cringe. Nothing Alec could come back as would make him run.

There was another, sudden surge of magic, this one so much louder.

So much closer.

The glass slipped from Magnus’ hand when he realized what it meant. He barely registered it before his feet were moving, carrying him out of the office as fast as he could go.

The wards trembled, pushed yet not breaking, and the magic around the institute swelled. For one brief moment, Magnus was sure the wards were going to come crashing down and the Wild Hunt would spill through these hallowed halls, hunting down a traitor in their midst.

Then, as he reached the front hall, the magic withdrew, slowly draining away. He felt it leaving. Heard the last, pleased cry of the hounds, the clatter of horse hooves running away, and the dark of the magic was slowly fading away with the light of the rising sun.

It made Magnus’ steps falter when he got close to the door. Whatever he found out there…

His magic stayed steady where Magnus faltered. It reached out ahead of him, pushing the doors wide open, breaking down that last barrier between Magnus and the single most important thing in his world.

What he found out there was enough to steal the breath from his lungs.

Magnus heard the sounds of gasps behind him when Clary, Jace, and Isabelle caught up, and the low swearing of others that meant that more Shadowhunters had followed them. As they caught sight of what waited for them, more than a few took a step back, and there was the whisper of weapons being drawn even as prayers were recited. Magnus thought he even detected the faint glow of a seraph blade.

It wasn’t fear that had stolen Magnus’ breath, though. No, it was relief. Sheer, unadulterated relief at the sight of the one waiting for them.

 _Alexander_.

The image was one that Magnus knew he would never forget.

On the ground lay a body, one arrow sticking out of it. And behind that was Alec, sitting strong and tall atop a horse. In one hand, he held his bow. In his other, the horse’s mane. He looked like something from a time long past – or something from a nightmare. With skin blacker than the night, and hair as white as snow, and with his horse a perfect match in coloring, not to mention the thrum of magic still in the air as the last night the dark began to fade, Alec looked like Heaven and Hell come calling.

The others might not have recognized the being in front of him as Alec, but Magnus knew. He could see it in that familiar body that he knew better than he knew his own. He could see it in the cut of his jaw, the lift of his chin. Not even the new silver of his eyes was enough to throw Magnus off. He knew that face. His _magic_ knew him.

When Alec abruptly moved, it was with a smooth, flowing grace that had always been present if not quite this _fluid_ before. He dismounted from the horse, slinging the bow over one shoulder once he was on his feet. Those silver eyes sought out Magnus’ and held there, and if Magnus had doubted before that this was _his_ Alec, he doubted no more. There was no denying the heart that was clear in those eyes. The _love_ that shone out.

The light of the rising sun reached their little patch of ground in front of the church. Silence fell over them all as that sun crept forward, reaching the edge of the horse’s shadow, and all at once, the darkness began to ripple. By the time the light reached Alec, the horse beside him had changed into a black hound that briefly flickered white, like a skeleton, only to turn back to a regular black dog.

The light passed over Alec, and his body rippled as well, only his ripples didn’t change him. They seemed to drain some of the light from him, and the creeping darkness that had filled the air around him. His hair became just white, no longer burning like some sort of Heavenly Fire, and his skin no longer appeared to soak up the shadows around him. Yet… he stayed black and white. A perfect inversion of colors.

The light crept further forward, illuminating the body lying on the ground. Magnus didn’t have to look to know who it was. _Valentine_. He didn’t need to see that. He knew the man was dead – had felt the burst of magic that made it clear. All of Magnus’ focus was on the man who was staring at him hesitantly, almost shyly, like he wasn’t sure of his welcome.

“I told you I’d come home,” Alec said suddenly, his voice low and steady and _his_. There was a hint of a deeper octave to it, rougher and more dangerous than he’d been before, yet it was _his_.

That seemed to be all it took to break the spell that had fallen over Magnus. In an instant, he was clearing the distance between them.

When he collided with Alec, strong arms were there to catch him up and cradle him close. Magnus trusted to those arms to hold him up. All of his focus was on bringing his hands up to Alec’s beautiful face and yanking it down so that he could kiss the breath from both their lungs.

When they pulled apart, the both of them were gasping, and there was a bright smile lighting up Alec’s face. What else could Magnus say, but “I love you.”

“I love you, too,” Alec said. The fear was gone from his eyes, and his touch firmed now that he was sure it was welcomed.

There were going to be countless repercussions from this, no doubt. A situation like this was something new, and it wasn’t something that the Clave would take well. Valentine was dead, the Head of the New York Institute was no longer a Shadowhunter, the Wild Hunt had run the earth again, and magic had echoed through every inch of this city.

Magnus didn’t give a damn about any of it. Not right then. He had Alec, safe and alive in his arms, and nothing else mattered. Not right now.

For now? Magnus drew Alec down once more and kissed him all over again, just because he could. They’d deal with the rest of it later.


End file.
